Home remedies for poison ivy from 6 everyday products

Poison ivy and its relatives are often hidden among other plants in the garden. Even if you know exactly how they look it is very difficult to avoid contact with them. Although a long time to wear pants and a jacket with long sleeves in warm weather can be uncomfortable, but it is important to do this while being in nature, when it help to avoid contact with this plant. The so-called “barrier creams” are not very effective.

Blisters appearing after the contact with poison ivy are indicating that the body is trying to fight the toxin. The period during which the rash is still bothering us may also help to identify a rash from poison ivy. Unlike some other types of rash, which often take place in a week, a rash from poison ivy can be annoyingly living with us between 12 and 30 days. Let’s investigate which home remedies are effective against this dangerous plant and how we can help our body to go through pain and irritation.

The first product: Baking soda
The second product: Oatmeal
The third product: Tap water
The fourth product: Alcohol
The fifth product: Ice cubes
The sixth product: Aloe juice
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The first product: Baking soda

Baking soda is well-known natural remedy for irritation after contact with the poison ivy. Baking soda is incredible solution. This ingredient is cheap and sold on every corner. The simplest way to help annoying pain is to make soda paste (by mixing water with baking soda) and placing it on the affected areas of the body. Usually it immediately helps and gives nice soft feeling of relief.

Baking soda home remedy:

Mix 1 tablespoon of the baking soda in the glass of water.
Take off the clothes from the affected area and take a sit.
Take a spray bottle or rinse the liquid with your fingers on the areas where your skin got infected.
The spray will give you relief and help a lot.

In case you prefer better the baking soda paste than you should replace the paste every three hours. You can also use the textile moistened in the baking soda mixture. Such textile should be also changed every three hours. Always use cold water to get the relief. This method is also used to help after insect bites.

Bath with baking soda:

Fill the bathtub with warm but not hot water and dissolve in it half cup of baking soda.
Make sure that baking soda dissolved completely.
Doctors recommend taking such bath for a while.
Of course you should not stay in the cold water.

In case you got infected by poison ivy plant on plenty surfaces of the body you should try bath instead of pasta.

Important: Hot water can cause only bigger problems with the blisters and skin areas which got infected. Stay away from hot water while you are getting rid of the rash.

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The second product: Oatmeal

Oatmeal can be used in few different ways to get rid of poison ivy rash. Cooked oatmeal usually is cooled down and applied on the infected areas. Make sure that oatmeal is not hot and be very careful when you implement the remedy on the skin. The best way is to use medical gloves and change them for each procedure.

Bath with oatmeal:

Oatmeal bath is used in the cases when numerous areas of the body are unfortunately infected with poison ivy.
Fill half of the bathtub with warm water (not hot) and pour in it whole box of oatmeal.
Let the oatmeal to stay in the warm water so they will give the porridge time to “prepare”.
After such bath procedure you should come out and do not use the towel.
Let your body to dry naturally. Leave the natural cream produced by oatmeal on your skin.

This home remedy will immediately bring help against annoying itching. The oatmeal is easy to find in every supermarket and it is absolutely harmful product.

Important: Never buy oatmeal for quick preparation. You should always pay attention that you are buying whole grains oatmeal as it contains all the minerals and vitamins.

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The third product: Tap water

Surprisingly this simplest liquid surrounding us everywhere is one of the best home remedies especially if we are giving first help after poison. If you know that you had a contact with poison ivy you should immediately wash the place contacting with the plant with plenty of water. Sometimes the rash can be prevented if we react immediately and water the infected spot within 10-15 minutes after being infected. Unfortunately in 30 minutes it is already too late to try as oils will be already absorbed by the skin.

How to use water:

Doctors recommend using either simple clean water or water with soap if you have any.
You can use soap of any kind but do not use towel as via towel you can help poison to be spread on other areas of the body.
You should wash everything: oils of poisonous plants can stick to anything and poison remains active for months.
Rinse shoes in which you went for camping and wash all toys and tools.
Always use gloves while washing. Immediately after washing take off gloves and put them into the washing machine.
Wash your hands immediately after any contact even with gloves.

As you know within three days after the contact with poison ivy oils person can experience rash. It happen because oils are transferred to the new spots via clothes, shoes or gloves. Blisters usually appear after the period of irritation and inflammation which is happening within 15 minutes after contact with the plant. Usually blisters appear after 1-3 days.

If there is any risk that poison ivy oils contacted your skin you should immediately wash yourself. Do it as soon as you can. Doctors say that there is no difference where you will wash yourself (lake, river, swimming pool) but you should do it within 5-10 minutes after contact with the toxic plant. The quicker you go into the water – the better result we will achieve.

Important: As persistence of infection is usually a result of repeated contact with the skin of toxin located under nails and other means it is extremely important to wash carefully every single piece of cloth or any other objects.

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The fourth product: Alcohol

When you go for camping or visit a picnic near the forest it is recommended to have with you some alcohol. Medical alcohol can be bought in any pharmacy and is usually in every home for everyday use. Poison of the toxic plant is not immediately coming under the skin so you still have 10-15 minutes to react in case you know that you had a contact with poison ivy. If you will hurry up you can wipe infected spots with some alcohol and wash them with water.

Alcohol effectiveness:

Alcohol will dissolve poisonous oils contained in the plant.
In comparison with effect from water or water with soap alcohol is much more effective and it is recommended to be used even for small kids.
Even thou alcohol can cause unpleasant even painful feeling to sensitive skin of the baby you should still use it as it is better than severe itching from the poison.

Many dermatologists recommend to apply alcohol to body and clothes where was possible contact with the poison ivy. Very often people bring poisonous oils on the shoes after camping or forest walk. Pay attention to your shoes and make sure you do not touch them with your hands. Wash shoes immediately as oils can stay on such surfaces up to month.

Important: Do not use tissues with alcohol as they will just help the infected poison to spread all over the skin. Also never wipe skin near your eyes with alcohol.

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The fifth product: Ice cubes

Ice cubes placed on the infected spot is perfect home remedy. Usually kids are in pain the most and they cannot stop themselves from scratching the blisters. Blisters cause a lot of irritation and sometimes scare parents a lot. Place your kid in front of the ventilator and put on the irritating blisters icy cold compress (ice cubes wrapped into the textile).

Poison ivy blisters:

Usually from blisters appearing after contact with toxic plant is coming out a liquid.
Some people are afraid of further infection and always try to prevent the liquid to contact skin further.
Luckily the liquid is harmless and is not spreading the infection at all.
As blisters are continuing to appear during the week some people think that scratching is causing blisters breakage.
In fact blisters only break on the spots which contacted with poisonous oils of the plant. The rest of the skin needs more time to get the reaction towards smaller amount of poisonous oil.
That is why skin is ripping first of all there where poison ivy contacted most. The rest areas have that reaction few days later. There is no connection to the liquid from the blisters.

Ice cubes in the plastic bag or in the towel placed on the itching spot for a minute reduce the itching feeling a lot. In case you do not have ice with you can use icy cold water from the tap. Icy cold shower also helps a lot. Actually you can every few hours have a compress with ice cubes on the itching areas but be careful with icy cold shower. We do not need to get sick together with being poisoned.

Important: Pay attention to your pets, golf balls, garden tools and bicycle wheels as all there objects can bring poison ivy oils into your home announced.

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The sixth product: Aloe juice

Due to aloe almost magical qualities it is used a lot in the treatment of burns, wound healing, pain relief and even psoriasis. Aloe juice as a medicine was continuously used in various civilizations for centuries. One of the active elements of aloe juice is alpha amylase. Alpha amylase is known for its anti-inflammatory properties that prevent tissue inflammation and edema. Aloe is used in home remedies a lot in case of ulcers, bruises and other injuries.

Aloe juice is extremely powerful in case of poison ivy toxin. Aloe juice placed on the infected skin spots will help to get rid of the itching and blisters. It improves the healing of the rash and sores. The treatment of the affected areas should be carried out with the intervals and placed on the skin every two hours.

Important: Often aloe juice researchers referred to as “vehicle” for its ability to penetrate deep into the various tissues of the body. Penetrating deep into the cells 3-4 times faster than water aloe removes toxins and waste products, cleanses the blood and lymph systems.

You need a doctor in case you:

Have a fever higher than 37.8 C (100 F).
Have pustules, soft yellow scabs and they are painful when you touch.
Experience rash which increases and you cannot sleep at night.
Have a rash which moved on the eye, mouth, genitals, or covers more than a quarter of the body surface.
Have a rash for more than several weeks.

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